Canada Urges Citizens to Leave Lebanon While Flights Are Available

Smoke billows after Israeli shelling on the southern Lebanese border village of Dhaira on October 16, 2023. (AFP)
Smoke billows after Israeli shelling on the southern Lebanese border village of Dhaira on October 16, 2023. (AFP)
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Canada Urges Citizens to Leave Lebanon While Flights Are Available

Smoke billows after Israeli shelling on the southern Lebanese border village of Dhaira on October 16, 2023. (AFP)
Smoke billows after Israeli shelling on the southern Lebanese border village of Dhaira on October 16, 2023. (AFP)

Canadians should consider leaving Lebanon while they can because of heightened security risks in the region, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Monday, after Ottawa helped evacuate a group of Canadians from the West Bank into Jordan.

"As the crisis in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel continues to unfold, the security situation in the region is becoming increasingly volatile," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on X, the platform formerly called Twitter.

"Canadians in Lebanon should consider leaving while commercial flights remain available," Joly said.

Like other countries, Canada is trying to evacuate citizens, permanent residents and their families from the region after Hamas' deadly attack on Israel this month and the subsequent Israeli military retaliation.

Canada has been using two military planes to airlift people who needed help leaving Israel, and earlier on Monday, Joly said the first group of Canadians had safely crossed from the West Bank into Jordan.

There are also about 300 people in Gaza that Canada is seeking to bring out through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt.

Five Canadians have been killed in the Hamas attack on Israel, an official from the foreign ministry said on Sunday, while three are still missing.



Israeli Military Recovers Body of a Hostage in Gaza, Is Examining Identity of a Second Body

Palestinians inspect damaged residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held before being rescued during an operation by Israeli security forces in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 12, 2024. (AP)
Palestinians inspect damaged residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held before being rescued during an operation by Israeli security forces in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 12, 2024. (AP)
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Israeli Military Recovers Body of a Hostage in Gaza, Is Examining Identity of a Second Body

Palestinians inspect damaged residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held before being rescued during an operation by Israeli security forces in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 12, 2024. (AP)
Palestinians inspect damaged residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held before being rescued during an operation by Israeli security forces in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 12, 2024. (AP)

The Israeli military said Wednesday that troops have recovered the body of a hostage held in Gaza and were examining whether another body recovered was also that of a captive.

Earlier, Israel's defense minister said that troops recovered the bodies of two hostages.

The military said the body of Yosef Al Zaydani was brought to Israel on Tuesday after being discovered in an underground tunnel near the southern Gaza city of Rafah. It said troops uncovered information about Al Zaydani's son Hamzah that "raised serious concerns for his life."

Military spokesman Col. Nadav Shoshani said the military was looking into the identity of a second set of remains recovered.

Al Zaydani and his son were taken captive during Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023, among 250 hostages snatched by the group during its cross-border raid.

Israel believes a third of the remaining 100 hostages are dead.

The body's recovery comes as Israel and Hamas are considering a ceasefire deal that would free the hostages and halt the fighting in Gaza.

However, Yosef and Hamzah Al Zaydani were believed to still be alive and their return could ramp up the pressure on Israel to move ahead on a deal.

Yosef Al Zaydani's name was on a list of 34 hostages shared by a Hamas official with The Associated Press that the group said were slated for release.

Many families of hostages say the continuation of the war in Gaza puts the lives of the remaining hostages at risk. They have demanded throughout the conflict that Israel reaches a deal with Hamas to free their loved ones.